DISASTERS PREVENTION AND STUDY CENTER

Predes is a Peruvian non – governmental organization which promotes the prevention approach in development, encouraging those working in development to take on the responsibility and the commitment not to create conditions vulnerable to natural hazards. Society – and to a greater extent leaders in the spheres of economics and politics – are causing changes in nature and altering the way it works, creating new hazards for development sustainability. PREDES’ chief goal is for the prevention approach to be factored into sustainable development.

PREDES works as follows:_________________________________________________

Capacity – building with communities vulnerable to natural hazards, so that they take responsibility for reducing the vulnerability and risk they face. PREDES provides education, technical and social advice, and values local people’s knowledge and experience.

Liasing with organizations which promote development (implementing and financial agencies) so that they introduce the risk-prevention focus as a cross-cutting theme in development planning, programmes, projects and in all development work.

Addressing policy makers for   the prevention approach to be included in public policy, legislation and regulations, leading to the sustainability of development.

PREDES’ Methodology:_____________________________________________________

Trying out methodologies and techniques for prevention and mitigation.

Systematising its own and others’ experience, and learning from them.

Formulating methodological proposals and disseminating them to political decision-makers, planners and development promoters.

Implementing projects in priority areas(risk zones), to help local communities reduce their vulnerability.

Studying and gathering folk wisdom in order to draft methodologies for a variety of aspects (educational, technical and social) that contribute to prevention and mitigation.

Disseminating information useful for development worker in a variety of ways: events, a web page, a magazine, publications (books, leaflets, CDs)

PREDES’ actions are based on ethical principles and values: solidarity, mutual help, community work, hard work, truthfulness and honesty, gender equity, rights and inter-culturality.

 PREDES places special emphasis on education, forming values and strengthening community organizations, with a view to changing the attitudes of new generations.